Stolen Innocence
by Antr 2.0
Summary: It's Fall in Elmore and all the students are getting ready for their Fall Formal Dance, where a lucky couple will be chosen to be the King and Queen of Fall. But is that really all their chosen to be?-(Guess who's back, Guys!)
1. Chapter 1

**Guess who's back! Now, I know that a lot of you probably don't know me because, well, I've been gone for a while and a lot of y'all are new. So I'd like to start with a formal introduction. My name is Antr (or Antr 2.0, as I am called now) and I used to be a very prominent writer on here. That probably means nothing to you all, but that mean that I have some prior experience in this archive. **

**So, why come back? Well, I was known as "A Critic" on here for a while because I liked to critique people's stories, and in return they would do the same to me. I like to have people say what I need improvement on or if I'm heading in the right direction. And seeing as how people tend to be more brutally honest on the internet, why NOT come back. So here I am.**

**So why not kick off the return with this new story entitled **_**Stolen Innocence**_

**Chapter 1: Monday**

Autumn leaves flutter about in the air, falling down gracefully to its destination on the ground. Fall was such a beautiful time to witness this aspect; especially in Elmore. Nothing caught the citizen's eyes better than seeing the colors of the trees as they walk down the quiet and peaceful roads of their town. There was nothing else like it. Nothing else that could compare to it. It was its own thing. It had its own personality and character; it had innocence.

Not for much longer.

Down at the school the students were doing their normal thing. Girls doing girl things, guys doing guy things. It was just an all-around dull setting. And it got even duller as you head into the classroom. There was no energy to be found anywhere. People were dead. Stone cold blank as they sat in their seats doing nothing but letting Ms. Simian ramble on about something that was going in one ear and out the other. It was a bleak graveyard with the decks being the open graves and the hunched over students being the tombstones. You could literally see when they checked out plastered on their heads: Tobias, US History; Banana Joe, Geometry; Carrie, Modern Lit.; Teri, Biology (for obvious reasons); and so forth. Zero interest from anybody.

"So class," the ape says in her shrill voice, "can anyone tell me what's coming up in the next couple of days?"

"The weekend?" someone says.

"No."

"An exam."

"No."

"Summer Break!?"

"It's the middle of November!" she screeches out as she rubs her head of the obvious headache she's beginning to get. "

"In 4 days we're having our schools annual Fall Formal Dance."

OH, we all say at the clear answer and begin to express our excitement for the upcoming event. Elmore Jr. High has always had a Fall Formal two weeks after the trees turn brown. Fall had started late this year, so it's been held off for the last two months. For some this was a great thing. The students had ample time to finds dates and prepare themselves for the dance; a time where, if you were lucky, would be a time you wouldn't forget. The others who were indifferent about the formal didn't really care much to have anything to do with it, though that might be because they're the people who don't get dates in the first place. Not that they didn't try or didn't want one. It's just how it turns out. Sometimes you don't get to go with the person you want, or maybe the ones you asked declined. But for whatever reason, some go in pairs and some just go single hoping that once they're there that there'll be one partner of the opposite sex to have some fun with for the remainder of the night before the voting.

You see, the actual dance isn't the part that the students look forward too. It was the voting ceremony at the end that they all stayed to see. You see, every year two students are chosen to be the formals King and Queen of Fall. The pair would be given the spotlight and dance in the middle of the crowd at the end of the dance. After the final song is played the King and Queen kiss for all to see and then are escorted to a limo out front to be whisked away in the night like some fairytale ending. Thus concluding the night with a memory that the Queen cherishes and the King gets to brag about once they come back. When they do differs between one to three days, depending on how long the town allows them to be off of school. What they do during that time is anyone's guess.

The class continues to talk about the event of the season until the bell rings. Everyone pushes each other to get out of the door first and enjoy the sweet taste of freedom. In the halls you hear the kids beginning to ask each other out, possibly to ensure they have a date set in stone for Friday. You have your obvious couples like Carmen and Alan, and Tina and Hector. Then you have your odd pairs like Tobias and Masami, Bobert and Teri, Sarah and Banana Joe, and so forth. Lastly, you have your couples who everyone knows likes each other, but haven't tried to ask each other out yet. That's where I land. I guess you could say that I was still a bit nervous. I mean, Penny was my girlfriend and we've already been on scheduled dates before this, but I have never officially ask her to go out anywhere with me. It was a millstone that I had skipped and I am now paying for it by not being able to be straight forward with her and just asking.

I wasn't the only one. Darwin hadn't made his move on anyone yet either, though for a different reason. He had to choose between two: Carrie or Rachel. They were...interesting choices. Not my type, personally, but I can see the outward attraction. We were walking down the hall when D brings up the whole date thing. It wasn't uncommon for him to ask about this subject, but now he needs help trying to understand it as well.

"Who do you think is a better fit for me?" he asks.

"What do you mean, D?"

"Like, who should I go with? Which of the two gals do you think is a better suit?"

"I don't know?" I reply, hoping that he'll drop the problem. "Neither really have anything that I see as…special."

"What? What do you mean there's nothing special about them? Rachel is so cool and mature. And Carrie is so cute, in a mysterious-emo way. They're nothing but special; what are you talking about?" He looks up and sees that I wasn't paying attention. Something had caught my eye at the other end of the hall. A certain floating angel with an unmistakable smile and a voice that sounds like a heavenly hymn had captured the attention of my wandering eyes. She looked so elegant, even if she looked like a hovering rainbow dot in the distance. I wish I could just go up to her and be like '_Penny Fitzgerald, love of my life, light of my day, apple of my eye, would you make me the happiest feline in the world and allow me escort you to The Fall Formal.' _If only it were that easy. She glance over at me and gives a little wave. In a shocked response I do the same and she walks off with her girl friends off to cheerleading.

I let loose a big huff of air before turning around to the exit doors, forgetting that D had been beside me. I get to the door before turning around and looking back at nature's beauty. "If only it were that easy." I say under my breath before I leave the school with D running up from behind to catch up to me.

**Well, that's chapter one. Hope it was to your liking. Comment and express your opinion. I Hope to have chapter to up some time later in the week. Until then, peace out. (0_0)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Monday (Night)**

'Hundred twenty-four, 'hundred twenty-five, 'hundred twenty-six-

Nine O'clock. It's dark outside and the wind is blowing against my window. Leaves twirl in the air as things are whisked away from my sight. I'm lying on my bed over the covers counting the seconds I stay awake. Something I do normally when my mind is racing ahead of my body. There is only so much I can do in a day after all. My body is weak and aches from the countless events that go on during my school experience and it needs to just turn itself off and have a good night's rest, regardless of whether I'm asleep with it or not. My feet and legs are numb, my hands are plastered down on either side of the bed and my head was lying face up on the soft pillow. I was completely paralyzed.

'Hundred thirty-two, 'hundred thirty-three, 'hundred thirty-four-

I couldn't go to sleep. My mind was pondering on something that it just didn't want to stop pondering on. Though, I'm not quite sure what that is exactly. Was it the dance that people keep talking about – a subject that I wish would stop flying over the whole diameter of the town like the hottest news story of the moment – because if it is, I don't see why? It's not like its sudden news that I just now know about it. Hell, I've knew about since I was six. Every kid in Elmore at one point in their childhood dreams of going. The reason, other than because the big kids get to go and if they go they'd be a big kid too, is nonexistent. But nonetheless, you still know. It's like the senior prom for middle school, only less hammy. Something like this just doesn't seem to be a legit reason as to why I might be still up. So I keep contemplating why this might be.

'Hundred fifty-six, 'hundred fifty-seven, 'hundred fifty-eight-

I manage to turn my head a small way to the right and look up toward the clear bowl being filled to the brim with the orange fish. Maybe my mind was stuck on what D had said, about his little decision dilemma. Hmm. That seems even less of what it might be. Sure. I do truly love my best bro that is and I do take his concerns very highly above anything, but in this instance, that piece of my life doesn't fit the rest of the puzzle. Still, I do wonder who he'll choose before the big event. Lord knows the last thing he needs is to either be stuck with both or have none at all. Now that's a true nightmare that would keep anyone awake.

'Hundred seventy-nine, 'hundred eighty, 'hundred eighty-one-

Perhaps then, it was just my one problem of not asking Penny to go with me. She is the only one who has ever made me want to stay up and remember my otherwise horrible day instead of going into my happy, secluded dream land. I should ask her. But she's my girlfriend already, right? She knows she'll have to come with me to dance anyway, right? So why even bother asking? She knows I can be quite the romancing type when I want too. I'd swoop her off her feet and show her a time better than college keg parties. We'd be part of the universe. We'd be content and smooth, sliding on the dance for as we never break apart. We'd look into each other's deep and passionate gazes as the music begins to slow down and the lights become an array of deep purples and blues, making the scene all the more perfect for when we come close and give each other a long, tender kiss upon our lover's lips. That would be a time to savor forever. A time she knows she can have with me. So why ask?

'Hundred eighty-six, 'hundred eighty-seven, hundred eighty-eight-

I just lay there. Thinking over and over why this must be so difficult? Hey, no one said love would be easy, or so I've heard and am now experiencing for the first time. It just feels pointless to ask to be she has to come with me anyway. But on the other hand, what if me not popping the question makes her feel as though I don't care for her enough to actually propose the idea of us going? I don't want her to think I don't love her enough to not even bring up the dance to her. That's not me. That's not ever me. I have to do this. I have to. If I don't, I'm putting myself in a hazardous situation. I need to go through with, or I'll regret it; big time.

'Hundred ninety-five, 'hundred ninety-six, 'hundred ninety-seven-

With my last thoughts coming to me as I start to finally dose off, my last question probably scared me the most out of it all: Will she say yes? It's stupid to even think, I know, but mind wonders to places of irrational thought when I'm scared. Of course she'll say yes. Why wouldn't she? She has no reason to say no, at least none that I know of. It's just me being paranoid. Nothing else to it. I should just let things happen and see where it takes me. My eyes start to close as my now endless counting starts to trail off into the night.

'Hundred ninety-eight, 'hundred ninety-nine, two hundred.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Tuesday**** (Morning)**

The sun had reared it's head over the horizon and the people of Elmore wake up to start their day off with a glorious beginning. That is, most are. If anyone was like me, which I know there has to be, they'd be still in bed with their eyes forcefully shut trying to block out the sun. It's even worse since I had stayed up until three and was really in no mood to greet the presence of the glowing ball of fire that burned my strained, blood-shot eyes. It was impossible to move. I wanted to just stay there all day, but I can't. I have to get up or The Blue Terror will come in my room and yell at me for missing breackfast again. Though, I wasn't really concerned about that. I wasn't feeling very hungry anyway.

I can hear the bubbly yawn from beside me and know that my bro was ready to get up and start the day. I hear a "Pop" as he gets out of fish bowl and a long, stretched-out yawn as he stretched his cramped limbs before finally stepping out of his watery, secondary home and going over to me to say his usual morning greeting. A predictable routine that is done every single day of the week.

"Good morning Gumball. Time to get up and start the day fresh."

I groan and and continue sleeping.

"Come on, man. It's time to get out, get proactive, and go though the day with a new a sense of pride in our step."

I still don't reply.

"Don't tell me you're going all Grumpy Cat on me. Nothing's even happened yet."

I turn over to the open-faced side of the bed and meet eyes with my orange bro. He seemed a bit worried, but with an added flare of "I know you were ignoring me" tone of expression. I know he wouldn't at least step away from the bed until I replied and gave a convincing, non-concerning answer; a quality to him that makes him both an asset and an annouyence to have around when something is bothering you, but I can do nothing to change that. He's just that type of fish that can _feel _when distress is upon someone, and won't leave you alone until the problem is solved. And although I have my own problems, I have a feeling that he wouldn't have an answer to give for my romantic dilemma.

"So..." I say.

"So."

"So, what? You going to keep eyeing me all morning, or are we going to start this day off?"

"There's the bright blue buddy I know. Just needed a little kick start, that's all"

"Yeah. Kick start." He has no idea what else I need.

We walk downstairs to meet the rest of the family. They were at the table eating away at their various meals. We pull up two chairs and join the rest of the group. Not much discussion was happening. Just people stuffing their faces with food to prepare for a long day of work, school, and couch-slacking. A normal morning session down at the Watterson household.

Me and D sit down inbetween Anais and Mom and proceed to grab some cereal to eat. D right away starts chatting to everyone. About what, I have no clue. I wasn't paying much attention. Things around me have just been tuned out since last night. Worrying about Penny has really made me loose focus on things. Well, loose more focus than usual. I shouldn't worry too much. It's a simple question that has a simple answer. I just need to be ready for what that answer is...but how can I? God! This is screwing with with my head. I can't focus, I can't think, I can't sleep. I can't do anything. I'm just watching the seconds go by as I continue to just be paranoid about something that I know isn't a big deal.

I'm lost in thought when when I feel a nudge at my shoulder.

"Honey, are you feeling alright." I look up and meet up face to face with my mother who was looking at me with a concerned face. It was only then that I realized that I had been starring down at my cereal bowl for the whole time I was there. Great. Now I can add "Can't eat," to the list of things I can't do. Shit.

"Yeah Mom, I'm fine. Just not that hungry this morning."

"You've been acting a bit weird since you came home yesterday. Did something happen at school?"

"No. I just have a lot on my mind, that's all."

My mother didn't seem convinced. Her questioning frown and half raised brow begged to differ against my unconvincing answer. But even though she had the upper hand, she dropped the subject and moved on to D who was inhaling down his breakfast in seconds. Without any remaining remarks I look back down at my bowl for a few more minutes in silence before I excuse myself from the table and go back up to my room to change.

* * *

><p>On the bus ride to school I didn't talk very much. Just your occassionl "Hello" and "Sup" to my friends before I go back into seclusion. D tried to spark a conversation twice, but we never made it past the third sentence. I think he knows that somethings troubling me more than ever now, but he won't call mean it after this morning. So we sit. Silence was the name of the game we were playing, and it was a long and un-eventful match. To my bro it was most likely boring , but to me inwas a time of stressing over my plan. What was my plan? I have no clue. But I know it has to be good. What's good enough though? What. I've been asking that a lot lately, but never a sufficient answer. Never.<p>

However, that might all change.

I feel a tap my shoulder from behind followed by a small whispering voice calling my name. "Gumball" the voice says in a clear, recognizable tone. A tone that I would recognize through the loudest of crowds in the busiest of places. It peircess through the mass of people like a straight arrow and hits it's mark dead center in my heart. It was the voice of m lovely angel beckoning me and I had a willingness to listen her for whatever reason it may be.

"Yes, Penny?" I ask in a sweet-as-can-be voice.

"Meet me outside the girls locker room after third period."

I flintch slightly before responding "W-why?"

"Just come by. We need to talk about something, in private."

She sinks back into her seat and says no more for the rest of the ride. I turn back around and stair at the back of the seat in front of me now pondering what she was talking about. Us needing to tal about something? In private no less?! What could it be? Will it be good? Will it be bad? Oh god, please let the news not be something severe. I can only hope.

I can only wait. Wait until third period.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Tuesday (School Hours)**

School is never much of an event during my day. Not as much as it used to be anyway. You get up, sit down, pretend to listen for forty-five minutes, and repeat for seven more periods. And I know what a lot of adults would say to me if I just blaitently say that school is a nauseating bore.

_"You kids just don't appreciate the educational system that is provided to you"_

_"School is meant for learning, not your entertainment."_

_"Do you know how many kids in under privileged countries would kill to have the chance at going to school?"_

And they'd be right, but what they seem to forget is that when you're a teen there's so many other things going on other than just worrying about some superficial grade you get in a class. There's a social aspect that gets thrown in there for the first time and teens finally get to expand on this becoming actual, definable people. There's also a romantic aspect, as teens begin to act on certain emotions that had once never been or has begun to arise. And while getting a grade in a class to please my mother is as easy as looking over to a neighbor when the teacher ain't looking, my biggest priority is going and working on my love life. Specifically, meeting up with Penny and seeing what news she had to tell me.

The bell had just rang for the end of second period and I was casually speed walking to the girl's locker room to meet up with Penny. One part of me was curious as to what she had to say to me. Anything she says I pay attention to. I listen to my heart's content. But on the flip-side, what if it's something bad? I'll be honest, I'm not as smooth at this love thing as I would have hoped I was. There's so many things that after I did them I instantly knew they were mistakes. My relationship with her is so new and I love every minute of it, but with all the mistakes that I can recall, I can only image her saying that after finally acting on our feelings that it just didn't work out. I don't know if my heart could take such a gut-wrenching blow. I want to deny it, but I can't toss out the possibility. I just don't know.

I just have to get there and see.

I make it to the girl's locker room. As I wait for Pen on the outside the girls that come out look at me with a displeasing glare. I kind of have a bad reputation with being shoved, thrown, forced, and even falling into the girl's locker room during "private" moments. I guess they aren't the ones who forgive and forget fairly quickly. I wait uncomfortably outside the door counting the seconds and playing with my fingers. It felt like an eternity.

She finally goes through the door and looks at me. I stumble to get off the wall and stand straight in front of her, trying to pull off my most normal, un-concerning face to not discourage whatever she might have to say. She looks at me and then scans around to see if any other person was around. I was both confused and scared. Why check to see if nobody else was there if it wasn't something big and sensitive. My heart began to beat faster and faster the longer she looked. She did eventually stare back at me and then quickly grabbed my hand.

"Follow me." She said as she dragged me into the locker room. She lightly pulled me through the room of feminine gym supplies. Balled up gym clothes scattered the floors. T-shirt sleeves and loose bra straps stuck out of closed lockers, and the room itself smelled like a combination of sweat and perfume. My mind begins get clouded with masculine thoughts, but my focus was trying to stay on Penny and not the female musk that filled the air. We passed through row upon row of benches and lockers, went through the showers, and eventually ended up at the restroom stalls at the end of the locker room. She shoves me in one and quickly closes the door behind her.

For some strange reason I began to feel a bit excited. But not the good kind of excited where you know you'll enjoy whatever happens. The male form of excitement. The kind that's really, really bad to have. You know, the kind of excitement that's embarrassing to have in public, and even more embarrassing to have if you and your girlfriend are in a small space seven inches apart and is in plain view for her to see. This was the type of excitement I was getting, and it was the one that makes me scared for my life that she doesn't look down. I know it's inappropriate, but when you're a teen guy even saying a something that sounds lewd or can be taken in a different way can trigger it. Being dragged through the locker filled with the girls smells and having rather private underwear thrown around was enough to trigger it. I don't want it.

Please don't notice it once you turn around.

She twirls around to meet me face to face. Her back was against the locker door and I was just standing there worried about my situation.

"Gumball," she says softly to me, "do you love me?"

A twitch backwards shocked a little at the question she asked. I hesitate to answer. She looks down scaring me for a second, but turns her head to the side to avoid eye contact with me. I guess my shocked expression wasn't what she was looking for.

"O-of course I do. Since the first time I saw you. Why?"

She looks back up, but I can tell she's still trying to avoid looking at me.

"It's just that this school dance thing is coming up, and everyone is asking somebody."

Oh no. It's about me not asking her to the dance. I knew I should have done it earlier. Now she's questioning whether or not I love her. This is bad. This really, really bad.

"Penny I-" She floats over and cuts me off, placing her hand on my lips and shushing me.

"Listen." She says closely. "I know you've been worrying about asking me to the dance."

What? How did she-

"And before you ask how, it was Darwin."

...

"Gumball. You and I are together. Whether or not you ask me. Why question my love and loyalty for you just because you didn't ask your already-girlfriend to a dance? It's not something you should worry that much on, Gummy."

She takes away her hand from my mouth and replaces them with her lips. She pulls away shows me a big, welcoming smile on her face. I do the same and know that everything was going to be fine. So much for worrying. She turns around and opens the door to leave the locker. I'm just about to go too when she closes the door on me.

"Hey, why'd you close the door?" I ask.

She giggles.

"I think you should take care of your "little friend" before you come back out."

My face blushes red. Embarrassing isn't the word to describe the feeling I'm feeling right now.

"Don't worry. I'll go out and make sure no one comes in. Just don't take too long."

She laughs herself away as I sit on the toilet completely mortified. The good news is that I don't have to worry about the dance. The bad news is that Penny notice my...yeah; and then told me to "take care of it."

This wasn't how I was expecting this talk to go.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Tuesday (Night)**

My bed couldn't feel any more comfortable. Like laying on a cloud-nine pillow filled with the most heavenly feathers. My mood was mellow and my state of mind was calm and collected. Though the struggle of insecurity only lasted a day or two, the reassurance was more than enough to stop the internal stress.

"So," D began to ask, "I take it that you're less Grumpy Cat now?"

"Yeah." I trail off saying. "Less Grumpy Cat."

"So what did Penny want to talk about?" An asks popping her head from above.

"Well she...wait. How do you know Penny wanted to talk with-"

"Darwin."

I dart my eyes over to D, who tries to look innocent even though he won't look at me.

"Really?" I say, "Interesting you say that, but I guess I shouldn't be surprised. This wouldn't be the first time Darwin opened his big mouth to someone today."

Darwin's "innocent" face began to start looking less casual.

"If you must know Ani, Penny just wanted to make sure that I knew it was okay that I didn't ask her out to the dance, since we're already BF and GF. "

"That's it? I could've told you that and saved you the stress and embarrassment."

"I know you could've, and most likely would've, just state the blatantly obvious," I state, "but it wouldn't have had the same impact as if it were said by Penny instead."

"I guess not."

"So while the conversation was at first stressful (and a bit awkward) it was very much needed."

"Sure..." She said in tone usually accompanied by rolling eyes.

"And as for embarrassing, it wasn't that bad. I mean, I was in girls locker room, but no one was in there. Plus, we were in the stall. No embarrassment to be had."

"I think you know what I mean by embarrassing; no need to explain yourself though. I guess it is hard to control that in front of a pretty girl. Am I right, Gummy?"

She chuckles herself back into her bed leaving my red. How did she know about my little...problem? Who told her?!

...

Perhaps, I rather not find that out. No need to start stressing over something again. Even though that was a rather private session to know about. Regardless, the day has finally given me release and now the night will allow me to rest with a calm mind. Tomorrow is a new day waiting to be explored, and I'm ready to go back to doing what I love with who I love. No telling what awaits me and my friends in the future.

Let the pleasant night take me.


End file.
